French Polynesia offers the civilized good life mixed with a one-of-a-kind communion with the natural world of the sea

Overwater bungalows at the Bora Bora Hilton, with Mount Otemanu in background.

French Polynesia has the allure of an exotic faraway land mixed with spectacular natural wonders and azure seascapes — all leavened with an utterly civilized French culture and influence.

In other words, there's really good bread and wine in paradise, as I discovered on a recent trip to Moorea and Bora Bora.

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On your way to these jewels, your first stop will be Papeete on the island of Tahiti, an eight-hour flight from Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui. The capital of French Polynesia and the Society Islands , one of five archipelagos in French Polynesia, is a bustling burg with great shopping (check out Le Marche, the public market), food (the roulottes, or food trucks, near the ferry docks are a must) and sightseeing (it's fun to book a van tour that circles the island). Rest up from your exploring at a place like Manava Suites Resort, just outside town.

Right next to where you enjoy crepes or Chinese food from the roulottes, you catch the Aremiti 5 ferry to Moorea, an easy 30-minute jaunt across the channel.

This is where otherworldly views start to come in. As you drive from the docks (most hotels will arrange transport) to your lodging, you'll probably pass by one of two bays, Cook's Bay or Opunohu Bay. The former is named for the intrepid British explorer who stopped here on his second trip to the islands in 1774. Both are impossibly beautiful, the calm blue-green coves fringed by palm trees, with forested mountains rising just beyond.

If you're shlepping all the way to French Polynesia, it's worth pampering yourself a bit, at a place like the Hilton Moorea. Situated on the north shore near both bays, the resort makes an ideal base from which to bask in the beauty of Polynesia. It houses excellent restaurants (including a creperie), a spa, a sweet section of sandy beach and all the amenities. The bungalows, either "garden" or over water, are totally plush — snorkeling from your own hotel room makes you feel like a lucky kid.

You can't laze away every day, though, so you might try some excursions. Moorea Mahana Tours does a fun 4x4 excursion around the island that takes you up into the mountains to see pineapple farms, a juice factory and the ultimate lookout spot, Belvedere, with its awesome on-high view of both bays.

The lagoon at the Moorea Hilton. Guest can snorkel right out of their room. (PAUL SCHULTZ)

Paddleboarding is another fun activity. Moorea Paddleboard Adventure (moorea-paddleboard.com; you can book through etahititravel.com) will take you on an easy two-hour trip along the coast, stopping to hang out with stingrays and friendly reef sharks. You're basically rowing a big stable surfboard — standing up — through crystal-clear water, bobbing gently in the swell of the ocean. The guide (ours was a friendly Frenchman) offers tips and encouragement. As you glide along, you'll take in the sky, the coast and brilliant blue of the water. When we were done, we just wanted to go again.

If you want to do some shopping, go into Maharepa on the north shore, where you can find a supermarket (with great baguettes and wine) and lots of small shops. Some evenings we made a point to forgo restaurants, and simply ordered room service pizza, uncorked a Cotes du Rhone, and watched films we had brought from home.

The next island, Bora Bora, is a 45-minute flight from Moorea or Papeete, and you land on an airstrip built by American G.I.s in 1943 on a motu, or islet. But it's the boat ride to your hotel that really astounds: To get to the main island and town of Vaitape (and to most of the big resorts on other motus) you have to cruise through Bora Bora's fabled lagoon, the source of the island's rep as a romantic destination. The colors range from aquamarine to an almost neon turquoise to a deep blue and back again. It's very much a pinch-yourself moment.

The sea motif extends to the lobby and reception at the Hilton Bora Bora, which is built over water. After a freshening towel and welcome drink, they whisk you via golf cart to your bungalow, again either in a garden setting or over water. This sister resort of the Moorea Hilton is a bit bigger and more spread out, with some garden bungalows (as well as the spa) perched on a hillside overlooking the sea and the property at large.

If you tire of simply relaxing, the resort can arrange all kinds of excursions and there's an hourly shuttle to the main town of Vaitape, where you can have lunch (try the lovely waterside St. James Restaurant), shop for souvenirs, or pick up food items at the Super U supermarket (those excellent baguettes again). On land, the 4x4 trips with companies like Tupuna Safari will take you all around the island and up into the mountains to see the old cannons left by the American military after World War II, while the sea-based trips motor you around the glorious lagoon, stopping to schmooze with the rays and sharks. They're all fun.

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Great souvenirs from French Polynesia include black pearls (they're for sale in all the towns); pareos (colorful Tahitian wraps); vanilla or Monoi scented oil, or a tattoo (inking is part of Polynesian culture). If you want the king of Bora Bora tattoo artists, Marama, book in advance.

Polynesian cooking demonstration at the Moorea Hilton. (PAT SCHULTZ)

Both Moorea and Bora Bora are also good diving opportunities. Moorea's known as a shark hangout (nonthreatening types) and Bora Bora is famous for its giant manta rays. These awesome Stealth Bombers of the sea frequent a place called Anau Pass, where they get groomed by cleaner fish. There are plenty of other sites where you can dive or snorkel and just look at myriad reef fish.

Though most resorts can connect you to the world via WiFi if you wish, French Polynesia imparts a blessed feeling of remove. Watching the sun rise or set over lush volcanic mountainsides does that to you.

And after a couple days of it, you won't want to go back home.

Giant manta rays can be seen up close at Anau Pass in Bora Bora. (C. CICCULLO)

pschultz@nydailynews.com

IF YOU GO

Fish are your close neighbors at hotel bunaglows in Tahiti.

Info: Contact tahiti-toursime.com.

Flights: Air Tahiti Nui is the main carrier between L.A. and Tahiti; companies such as etahititravel.com can book packages including inter-island flights.

Dining: On Moorea, try Rudy's (rudysmoorea.com); on Bora Bora, the tourist standby is Bloody Mary's (bloodymarys.com), where you enjoy the catch of the day in a fun setting with a sandy floor. (Both offer transport.)

Diving: Go with Top Dive (topdive.com); the divemasters are experts.

Excursions: For info on land and sea tours, check out etahititravel.com.